Editorial Workflow
The Arts and Culture Journal of the Lower Moon River (ACJ) employs a double-blind peer review process, involving at least three independent reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on whether to accept or reject the submission. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring the academic quality of the editorial process, based on publication ethics in accordance with the ethical standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the guidelines announced by the Thai-Journal Citation Index Center regarding the evaluation of ethics and principles in Thai academic journals.
Editorial Workflow:
Initial Review
All submitted manuscripts will undergo an initial review process, consisting of the following steps:
1. Editorial Office Screening
The Editorial Office will first examine the manuscript for:
- Formatting compliance
- Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism)
The results of this check will then be forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief.
2. Evaluation by the Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief will assess whether the manuscript:
- Falls within the scope of the journal
- Is appropriately focused
- Complies with formatting guidelines
- Adheres to the journal’s publication ethics and AI policies
Based on this evaluation:
- Desk Rejection will occur for submissions that do not meet the journal’s policies, fall outside its scope, or fail to meet required quality standards.
- Return for Revision will apply to manuscripts that are inadequately prepared, requiring authors to revise and resubmit.
3. Article Processing Charge (APC) and Peer Review
After passing the initial review, authors will be required to pay the Article Processing Charge (APC). Once payment is confirmed, the manuscript will be forwarded for peer review under the supervision of the Editor-in-Chief.
Peer Review
All manuscripts considered for publication undergo a rigorous and thorough peer-review process. Following the initial review, each manuscript is assigned to qualified reviewers for evaluation. Reviewers may provide one of the following recommendations:
- Accept Submission – Accept the manuscript for publication without revisions.
- Revisions Required – Request revisions and submit the revised manuscript to the Editor-in-Chief for a final decision.
- Resubmit for Review – Request revisions and a resubmission for further review by the same reviewer(s).
- Decline Submission – Reject the manuscript.
At least three independent experts—who are neither the Editor-in-Chief nor affiliated with the authors—participate in the peer-review process. The journal follows a double-blind review system, meaning that the reviewers are unaware of the authors’ identities, and the authors do not know the reviewers’ identities.
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for assigning manuscripts to reviewers who have no conflicts of interest and possess relevant expertise in the manuscript’s subject area.
Reviewers’ Responsibilities
Reviewers are expected to adhere to the journal’s publication ethics and maintain the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. Their key responsibilities include:
- Checking for duplication, similarities with existing literature, plagiarism, and self-plagiarism
- Identifying incorrect or inappropriate citations
- Evaluating the academic and research quality of the manuscript in accordance with recognized scholarly standards
- Reviewing the formatting and presentation of the manuscript
- Providing constructive and actionable feedback for both the authors and potential readers
Reviewers are also expected to complete their evaluations and submit their reports within the designated timeframe to ensure a timely review process.
Editorial Decisions
After receiving recommendations and comments from at least three reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief will make a final decision regarding the manuscript. The decision will fall into one of the following four categories:
1. Accept Submission – The manuscript is accepted for publication without the need for revisions.
2. Revisions Required – Minor or moderate revisions are needed. The revised manuscript will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief before a final decision is made.
3. Resubmit for Review – Substantial revisions are required. The revised manuscript must be resubmitted and undergo a second round of peer review, often involving the original reviewers.
4. Decline Submission – The manuscript is rejected and will not be considered for publication in its current form.
Acceptance
The acceptance of a manuscript is based on the reviewers’ evaluations and recommendations. The final publication decision considers not only the academic quality of the work but also its overall significance and contribution to the field. A manuscript may be accepted if it meets the journal’s standards for originality, clarity, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
Revisions Required
The manuscript will be accepted upon satisfactory completion of the required revisions as specified by the reviewers. Authors are given fourteen (14) days to address the reviewers’ comments using the revision form and to revise the manuscript accordingly. The revised version will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief to determine if it meets the necessary standards for acceptance.
Resubmit for Review
If substantial changes are required, authors will be asked to revise and resubmit the manuscript for a second round of peer review. Authors are given fourteen (14) days to respond to reviewers’ comments using the revision form and to revise the manuscript accordingly. The revised version will then be returned to the same reviewers for further evaluation in the next review cycle
Rejection
A manuscript must be recommended by at least three independent reviewers before it can be accepted for publication. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject any manuscript if:
- The subject matter falls outside the journal’s scope
- The quality of the work is insufficient
- The results are inaccurate or unreliable
- The manuscript, even after revision, fails to demonstrate originality, scholarly merit, or significant contribution to the field
Articles may also be rejected during any stage of the review if they do not comply with the journal’s ethical or quality standards.
Online First (Status: "In Progress")
Most accepted articles are published Online First with the status “In Progress” in the current issue. These articles are copyedited and proofread by the author(s) prior to final publication. Online First articles are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) upon acceptance. However, the official DOI will be finalized once the entire issue is published.